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Childrens Parliament - Northwest PRESS RELEASE
NELSON MANDELA CHILDREN'S PARLIAMENT ON LEADERSHIP, NORTH WEST
26 May 2008 We the children and young people of North West Province have, in this first NELSON MANDELA CHILDREN`S PARLIAMENT on LEADERSHIP have, through discussion and debate learned many things about the conditions and circumstances of children and young people in our province. As a developing province, we in North West still experience many social problems and challenges like rural development, poverty, inequality, HIV/AIDS, crime and other social ills. We acknowledge that while the material condition of children and young people in the country has improved since freedom, not enough attention is being given to children in our province. We have learnt that when adults do thing that are wrong children suffer most even if it is not their intention to do so. The situation of children in North West Province is really heart breaking. The Province experiences issues like poverty, rural underdevelopment, lack of educational facilities, corporal punishment, and the lack of child participation in issues affecting them amongst many others. The Nelson Mandela Children`s Parliament on Leadership was an eye opener to us as children especially in the light of the extent of abuse and the lack of child friendly leadership within our province. Parliament offered us a forum to express ourselves and a dynamic way to communicate our feelings and thoughts. We became active participants in our lives. In fact Parliament offered us a structure for dialogue that uses reason and intellect rather than brute force. Xenophobic violence of the past weeks in South Africa clearly shows that some citizens do not understand the meaning of Ubuntu as is found in our cultural heritage. We need to re-find the spirit of neighbourliness and compassion, love and acceptance in our lives. As we hang our heads in shame, we appeal to all those people who are involved in these inhuman acts and shameful deeds to stop. Let us acknowledge the beauty of life and practice Ubuntu. All children`s rights especially, freedom of expression should be respected and taken into consideration. We think that we, as children can make a difference. There is this saying that goes "Let knowledge grow from more to more and thus be human life enriched". So, too, should children not be discriminated against simply because they are just children? Pictures from Limpopo Childrens Parliament    
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